Homan, Bottcher remain undefeated at Canadian mixed doubles curling trials

Rachel Homan and playing partner Brendan Bottcher compete against Jessica Zheng and Victor Pietrangelo during draw 5 action against at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool, N.S. on Tuesday, Dec.31, 2024. (Michael Burns Photo/The Canadian Press)

LIVERPOOL, N.S. — Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher took sole possession of top spot in Pool A with an 11-4 win over Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres on Tuesday at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials.

Homan and Bottcher started strong with four points in the first and third ends to improve to 4-0 and hand Walker and Muyres their first loss of the event.

Walker and Muyres fell into a tie for second at 3-1 with Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter.

After falling 9-5 to Walker and Muyres in Tuesday’s morning draw, Tran and Kleiter responded with a 6-3 win over Jessica Zheng and Victor Pietrangelo (1-3) in Draw 7.

Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing were in a tie for fourth at 2-2 with Paige Papley and Evan Van Amsterdam.

Papley earned their second win of the day with an 8-6 victory over Robert Desjardins and Anne-Sophie Gionest (0-4) while Jones and Laing fell 7-6 to Nancy Martin and Steve Laycock (1-3).

Earlier, Homan and Bottcher downed Zheng and Pietrangelo 7-3, Jones and Laing downed Desjardins and Gionest 8-2 and Papley and Van Amsterdam beat Martin and Laycock 7-4.

In Pool B action, Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman improved to 3-0 along with John Epping and Lisa Weagle.

Gallant and Peterman got a ninth-end steal for a 7-6 win over Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud (0-3), while Epping and Weagle scored two in the seventh and stole one in the eighth for a 10-8 comeback win over the father-daughter duo of Jim and Jaelyn Cotter (2-1).

In other Draw 6 results, Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott (2-1) posted an 8-5 win over Taylor Reese-Hansen and Corey Chester (0-3) and Riley Sandham and Brendan Craig (1-2) earned a 7-5 victory over Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith (1-2).

Another draw was scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The top three teams from each pool will advance to the playoffs starting Thursday. The final is set for Saturday.

The winning duo will represent Canada at the world championship this April in Fredericton, which will determine most of the countries who will compete in mixed doubles at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in Italy in 2026.

If Canada qualifies, the trials winner will also wear the Maple Leaf at the Games.

Canada’s Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris won gold when mixed doubles made its Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea.

Morris and Homan missed the playoffs at the Beijing Games in 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 31, 2024.